Tokyo - Hakone/Fuji - Kyoto - Takayama - Tokyo, 16 days

Hi there,

Cost analysis

To get a handle on whether a 14 day pass (¥45,100) will be economical for you lets get a handle on your base JR costs:

1. Tokyo > Odawara: ¥3840, (35mins, 83km)
2. Odawara > Kyoto: ¥11950, (160mins, 429km)
3. Kyoto > Takayama: ¥9980, (193mins, 314km)
4. Takayama > Tokyo: ¥14600, (273mins, 532km)
5. Tokyo > Narita airport terminal 1: ¥3140, (58mins, 79km)

TOTAL: ¥43510 for 5 legs

As you can see, the total cost of JR travel you have listed is ¥1590 cheaper as tickets than as a 14 day rail pass. I suspect that you will be able to make up this ¥1500 through a variety of travel as you're in Japan, so I still recommend you choose the 14 day over separate tickets to retain travel flexibility (eg, day trips to Hiroshima or Nikko). This will depend on how final your plans are however.

Further thoughts

Looks like you have the right idea using the NEX/Suica or taxi from Narita and then looking at a 14 day pass - I think that would make the most sense.

Your 5 year old will still be able to use seats but will have to give up his seat if another passenger has reserved it ( the trick here is to always sit in non-reserved seating if you can, then your boy (and you) can travel in peace :) ). I think that provided you don't mind using non-reserved (identical to reserved actually, and often quieter paradoxically), then you should not purchase a rail pass for your youngest and put the savings towards something else.

Unfortunately, it does appear that the Mt Fuji welcome card has gone out of service.

Hope this helps!

Thank you very much Mari!

So we can go direct from Odawara to Kyoto without going back to Tokyo, on Shinkansen?. I did not realise this!

Also, we will go to Hiroshima for sure plus another trip from Kyoto. So I think we will save some good money.

Thank you again

Hi Bemo,

Yes, Odawara is on the Tokaido shinkansen line, so by getting there you're already part way to Kyoto. Great to hear about your Hiroshima trip, in that case I can happily recommend the 14 day pass for your trip.

Hope you have a great time!